Choosing Music for Funerals in the UK
Funeral Music Can Reflect Sadness and Personality
Feb 22, 2009
Most UK crematoria allow a time slot of between 20 and 30 minutes for the funeral itself. This usually means that three pieces of music can be selected; one for entry, one for exit and one for reflection during the ceremony. It is unlikely, therefore, that any of these pieces (with the possible exception of the middle song) will be played in full.
Of course, much depends on the deceased and the ceremony being conducted. If music was the most important thing in their life, then it may be appropriate to have the majority of the ceremony spent listening to significant pieces, rather than having many words. However, most families like to have some kind of tribute to the deceased, and so the music forms a part of the ceremony, rather than being the bulk of it.
Community Singing
Many people enjoy the coming together of people in song. If the funeral being conducted has religious content, then this is easily achieved through the inclusion of a hymn or two in the ceremony. However, this can be more problematic for secular funerals. Beatles songs are often a good choice, given their familiarity, as are songs associated with particular sporting teams.
To encourage community singing, it’s a good idea to include the lyrics in any order of service sheet. Lyrics can be obtained from a variety of internet sites.
Entry Music
It is at the beginning of the ceremony that people are feeling at their most sombre and apprehensive, and so the entry music can reflect this by being the slowest and quietest piece. It will usually be faded once everyone is in the chapel and the coffin is in place.
Music for Reflection
Secular services tend to have a time during the service for quiet reflection, allowing mourners to remember the deceased, and providing a time for those with a religious faith to pray.
If there is a song which has particularly meaningful words, then this is the best time to play it, as this is the time when the members of the congregation are still and listening. Popular choices for this time include Time to Say Goodbye (available from a number of operatic singers) and Run by Snow Patrol or Leona Lewis.
Exit Music
This can be the most light-hearted of the three pieces, as by this point the worst is over and everyone, although still saddened, is making their way out of the chapel. If appropriate to the deceased, songs with a comic value, such as Monty Python’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life and Bring Me Sunshine from the Morecambe and Wise show can be choices which raise a smile and break the tension.
Getting the Music to the Crematorium
A number of crematoria in the UK use the Wesley Music system . Wesley obtains the music and downloads it to the crematorium’s sound system. They need a two or three days’ notice to do this (longer for obscure tracks).
If your local crematorium does not have this facility, they will usually ask for music to be provided on CD. If the CD has been burnt on a home computer, it is usually requested that the CD can be delivered to the crematorium at least two days before the ceremony, to allow testing on the equipment.
Music is an important way of making the funeral service unique to the deceased, as favourite songs or hymns can be played or sung. A funeral is a sad occasion and the music can either add to the poignancy or help to break the tension, according to the wishes of the family.
